Literacy Snapshots
SIL on the Field
Literature Promotion and Distribution—Quechua
Farmers' Market Strategy
Once there was a variety of literature in print in Huaylas, Jan Mayer (SIL) and Feli Trejo (a Quechua speaker) began promoting it in the farmers' markets. The markets are held weekly in three trade towns down the valley from where Jan lives in Huaraz. Jan and Feli join streams of Quechua people who trek in from the highlands on market days. Market stalls and areas fill up early, so Feli quickly selects a likely spot and checks with others to be sure it has no "owner". Then they set up a simple display, filling clear plastic pockets of the display with such items as folktales, legends, riddle books, cassette tapes, stories, scripture portions, a language-learning guide, a primer, and a song book. One of them may hold up a poster-sized calendar with Quechua text and a picture.
